Mario Kartisn’t likeSuper Smash Bros. The two franchises may both feature a cornucopia of Nintendo characters, but they’ve historically had different philosophies.
Super Smash Bros. gets bigger and bigger with every game, expanding the roster of characters, available maps, music, and trophies with each new entry.Super Smash Bros. Ultimatewas, just that,ultimate, with 89 playable characters by the time all DLC fighters had been added. Given that the series started with just 12 in the original N64 game, that’s quite an increase.
‘More’ has been the answer because ‘different’ was largely rejected. Brawl, the game in the series that most messed with the formula, was the least popular with the fanbase. Smash players want Smash, and they want Smash to feel like Smash.
The Karts They Are A-Changin'
In contrast, Mario Karthaschanged. The first entry, Super Mario Kart on the SNES, feels like a prototype, approximating 3D with forced perspective as your character drives and drifts around a flat map. Mario Kart 64 took the series into true 3D.Mario Kart: Double Dash!!added a second character in the kart, who focused solely on using items.
The GBA entry, Super Circuit, isn’t especially notable. It’s mostly just a portable retread of the SNES original.
Mario KartDSadded online play for the first time. Mario Kart Wii added motion controls, and was sold with the Wii Wheel accessory. The 3DS entry Mario Kart 7 added gliding sections and underwater bits. But, for over a decade now, the only Mario Kart game has been 8. The game originally launched on the Wii U before the upgradedMario Kart 8 Deluxebrought an improved Battle Mode to Switch. That port didn’t bring any new mechanics to the table, though, which means it’s been 11 years since we saw any innovation from the series.
A Decade Of Mario Kart 8
And, to be honest, I never found 8’s big innovation — anti-gravity sections — to be all that game-changing. It’s a cool idea, sure, but it pales in comparison to how unique Double Dash’s dual-driver mechanic made that game feel, or the Wii’s unique controls.
As a result, Mario Kart just feels like it’s been in a same-y spot for a long time. Mario Kart 9 will undoubtedly be bigger than any previous game. Eagle-eyed viewers noted that the gameplay fromthe Switch 2 revealshowed starting positions for24 racers, which is double Mario Kart 8’s max. It will likely introduce a bunch of new characters, too.
But bigger isn’t enough of a selling point, at least not for me. I want to see the series dip into that Double Dash well again, and introduce a new mechanic that gives this game a unique feeling.
Especially since the Switch 2’sbackward compatibilitymeans Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sales can continue unabated.
Since the Switch 2 reveal, there has been some speculation that the game could introducefuel management, and that’s exactly the kind of idea I’m talking about. I want something that fundamentally alters the Mario Kart experience, and giving players a resource to manage would do just that.
This might have been an unpalatable idea when Mario Kart 8 launched, but the current generation of players grew up on survival games likeMinecraftand tough action RPGs likeDark SoulsandElden Ring.Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdomhave shown that these mechanics can be appealing to a broad audience.
It doesn’t need to be fuel management, specifically. Mario Kart 9 could introduce out-of-kart sections where you beat up other players, a laTony Hawk’s Underground. It could give Mario a gun. It could bring in other forms of racing, with snowboards or monster trucks. Maybe it could borrowMario Odyssey’s possession system and let players transform into creatures or objects strewn throughout the course. I don’t care what it does. I just want it to dosomething.
